Can I use welded wire on the run if they are going in the coop every night?

[Streetview]

I am going to be building a 6ft tall and maybe 12 feet long run that attaches to my coop for the girls to be out during the day, and will be putting them back up in the coop at night (which has hardware mesh) can I use welded wire for just the run itself, or just the roof of the run or do I need to do hardware cloth?

I live near Seattle, I have never seen a racoon where we are but I am sure they are out there, as well as crows, hawks, bald eagles, and opossums and always the chance for a stray rat from the park a few blocks down.

 

[CityFarmer202]

I personally would use welded wire for the run. During the day, you may still have a few predators out and about, but for the most part, night is the most dangerous time for chickens. If you have seen hawks/eagles, i would put deer netting over the top, because even though it would not hold to a hawk diving, they see the martial and don't come down. Also consider dogs, but most likely, welded wire would keep them out. Good luck!

 

[PlaidBattleAxe]

agreed!

 

[RJSorensen]

Yes, for your use I would agree that welded wire would be just fine. Just remember to lock them up each evening. It is a trade off that I could live with, and as long as you are ok with that, it should be just fine.

Happy building,

RJ

 

[Streetview]

thank you! We always lock them up.

So I have a question...what about ventilation for night time on the coop itself... Am I ok drilling small quarter sized holes in the sleeping area and not meshing those (we don't have snakes that could hurt chickens here) or do you think I still need to mesh them? It's just kind of awkward if I was going to mesh from the inside so it looks nice.

 

[RJSorensen]

A quarter (twenty-five cents) is about 3/4 of an inch, so I suppose that to be workable should you so choose. However you may find yourself down the road wishing you had slits or slots with a hinged door to control the volume to the number of birds and or the weather. And with that style you would want hardwire cloth on them. In the learning center or such there is a very nice sticky thread on ventilation that is worth the time to look up and read.

You are doing a bang up job by me.

RJ

 

[Streetview]

thank you! Thankfully they do have a window that opens on the other side that I open during the day incase they want to roost inside and have light, or its too hot, or what not but that is a thought, having something that I can close/open for night time venting. I will see what I can come up with. Thank you!

 

[Hershy]

I have built very much as you are planning to. They have welded wire run (we added a 2 ft high section of chicken wire around the bottom and buried a couple inches of it so they can't dig out, and nothing can dig in. We have lots of critters around here and it's only been 3 months, but so far, so good. We lock them up every night and open up in the mornings.

Edit: we also put bird netting over the top, the starlings get in and steal feathers, etc but no overhead predators.

 

[centrarchid]

I suggest using the 1" x 2" rather than the 2" x 4" welded wire. Former stronger which could be an issue if a large dog challenges fencing. Former also more resistant to raccoons which can be important when birds not properly secured in coop at night which will occasionally happen.

 

[bigmrg74]

thank you! We always lock them up.

So I have a question...what about ventilation for night time on the coop itself... Am I ok drilling small quarter sized holes in the sleeping area and not meshing those (we don't have snakes that could hurt chickens here) or do you think I still need to mesh them? It's just kind of awkward if I was going to mesh from the inside so it looks nice.

The chickens could care less if it looks pretty or not. I would go with what's more secure for the girls. You'll thank yourself later when you come out one morning and scare off some critter who has been trying to get in. If not a snake then a weasel or a rat perhaps.

I suggest using the 1" x 2" rather than the 2" x 4" welded wire. Former stronger which could be an issue if a large dog challenges fencing. Former also more resistant to raccoons which can be important when birds not properly secured in coop at night which will occasionally happen.

This, and I would suggest some extra chicken wire down along the ground and buried. Keeps things from reaching in and the girls from sticking parts out and getting them ripped off. And the buried part of the fence will stop diggers from getting into the run as well.